Two-thirds of Pa. Voters Support Professional Designation for CRNAs

Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kurt Knaus; P: 717-724-2866; E: kurt@ceislermedia.com

Two-thirds of Pa. Voters Support Professional Designation for CRNAs

Pennsylvania is one of just two states that fails to recognize nurse anesthetists in some form

HARRISBURG (April 20, 2020) --- Two-thirds (67%) of Pennsylvania voters support professional designation for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), including those who identify as Republican (59%), Democrat (75%) and Independent (62%), according to results of a statewide public opinion poll conducted by G. Terry Madonna Opinion Research.

Pennsylvania is one of just two states that fails to recognize CRNAs in some form. Because there is no definition for “certified registered nurse anesthetist” under the state’s Professional Nursing Law, CRNAs are recognized only as registered nurses, not as CRNAs. That brings logistical and financial burdens, and it continues to inhibit our full response to this health-care pandemic.

In response to COVID-19, many CRNAs want to contribute more in the facilities where they work but can’t. Likewise, hospitals and other health-care institutions want to use CRNAs to their fullest capacity but can’t. Many of these facilities feel restricted by the way the state licenses CRNAs and will not allow nurse anesthetists to provide advanced, critical care services, even though it is within their education, training, clinical experience and scope of practice --- meaning this valuable health-care resource remains untapped during a time of crisis.

There are other challenges as well. Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists who serve in the military must secure designation in another state to provide anesthesia in the armed services. They cannot assist on rapid response teams in states affected by natural disasters because they lack formal credentials. And, after receiving training in Pennsylvania, many nurse anesthetists relocate to states with full credentialing, contributing to the state’s “brain drain.”

Bipartisan measures have been introduced in both chambers to recognize nurse anesthetists as “CRNAs” under Pennsylvania statute, with one bill (S.B. 325), sponsored by Sen. John R. Gordner (R-Columbia), receiving Senate approval last year. The legislation remains under consideration in the House Professional Licensure Committee.

“Broad support like this should give lawmakers the confidence they need to advance this measure and finally provide CRNAs with the professional designation they deserve,” said Angelarosa G. DiDonato, DNP, CRNA, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents more than 3,700 CRNAs and students in the state.

CRNAs are the hands-on providers of anesthesia care, operating safely in every setting where anesthesia is administered, including: hospital operating and delivery rooms; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, and plastic surgeons; pain management centers and more.

Pennsylvania is recognized as a leader in anesthesia education and training, with 13 university-led programs. Yet, without an official CRNA designation in the state, many students leave the state. Some graduating students have to wait as long as six months to get credentialed in out-of-state facilities, as state boards must verify that the students meet the requirements necessary to be classified appropriately there.

According to the poll findings, respondents agree (47% agree to 28% disagree) that students who graduate from one of Pennsylvania’s education and training programs ultimately may leave the state because of issues with designation, going to a state that fully recognizes their profession. In the same respect, respondents agree (51% to 23%) that having professional designation would help to attract and retain these professionals.

According to the poll, respondents agree (45% to 40%) that there is no difference in patient outcomes when a CRNA provides treatment compared to an anesthesiologist. Numerous medical studies back them up. In fact, studies by nationally recognized health-care policy and research organizations prove that outcomes are nearly identical in these cases and that CRNAs provide high-quality care, even for rare and difficult procedures.

Not only are CRNAs critical to patient care, but they also help to reduce the cost of health care. Respondents also agree (46% to 40%) that CRNAs help to keep down health-care costs.

That is especially true in rural areas, where CRNAs are the main providers of anesthesia care, delivering essential health care and preventing gaps in services. CRNAs are far less costly for hospitals to employ, so rural hospitals, for example, are able to staff emergency services with in-house CRNAs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so that every Pennsylvania resident has access to these needed services.

The poll, conducted by ProBusinessConnection, interviewed 650 registered voters in the state and includes both landline and cellular households. The margin of error is +/-4.8 percent.

For more information about certified registered nurse anesthetists in Pennsylvania, visit www.PANAforQualityCare.com or follow along on social media via Twitter at @PANACRNA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PANACRNA.

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Letter: Villanova University Urges Support for CRNA Designation, S.B. 325

SUPPORTING DESIGNATION LEGISLATION IN PENNSYLVANIA

Re: CRNA Professional Designation Legislation: S.B. 325 (Gordner)

October 1, 2019

Dear Senator/Representative:

Pennsylvania has more nurse anesthesia graduate programs than any other state in the U.S., attracting students from across the country to study in Pennsylvania to become certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). Many choose the highly competitive Villanova University Nurse Anesthesia Program, which is administered in partnership with the Crozer Chester Medical Center.

Pennsylvania remains one of just two states that fail to formally recognize CRNAs in statute or provide licensure as a CRNA. There is no definition for “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist” under the state’s Professional Nursing Law, and there is no title designation for CRNAs and they are recognized only as registered nurses, not as CRNAs. This ignores the lengthy advanced education and training, required to become a CRNA.

Fortunately, in the final days of legislative session before the General Assembly adjourned for summer 2019, the state Senate approved a measure (S.B. 325) introduced by Sen. John Gordner that would formally recognize CRNAs under PA state law. This is the second consecutive legislative session that the measure passed the Senate. We are urging the House to do the same, immediately.

Nurse anesthetist programs like Villanova’s have seen firsthand the challenges our students and graduates face without title recognition in Pennsylvania. Many graduates opt to relocate to other states where CRNAs can practice to their full scope of their education and training. Without formal designation as a CRNA, our graduates who relocate to other states can wait as long as six months to become credentialed. In the absence of title recognition or CRNA license reciprocity, other state boards must verify that the graduates have met their state requirements to be licensed appropriately, which delays our graduates’ ability to work. Retention of these advanced professionals in Pennsylvania should be a priority for our commonwealth because of the outstanding health services that they provide thus improving the health and welfare of PA residents.

Nurse anesthetists must graduate with a minimum of a master’s degree from a nurse anesthesia accredited program, complete greater than 2,000 hours of clinical experience in anesthesia practice and pass a national certification exam in order to practice. The average nurse anesthetist completes 9,000 clinical hours of clinical training, including the clinical ICU experience as an RN required to enter CRNA training, the clinical experience obtained in an undergraduate nursing curriculum, and the clinical anesthesia training in a nurse anesthesia program. CRNAs are required to be nationally certified and must be recertified every four years, meeting strict continuing education standards.

Lack of title recognition in PA presents significant barriers for CRNAs in Pennsylvania who are active military personnel or who volunteer in emergency response teams. Pennsylvania CRNAs who are active military have to secure CRNA licensure in another state to serve as a CRNA in an active duty role of the armed forces. This is unacceptable because it adds additional fees and continuing education requirements to maintain licensure in another state to be eligible serve in our military. Nurse anesthetists have been the primary providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel on the front lines since World War I, and remain the primary anesthesia providers in austere combat theaters. Yet, Pennsylvania’s battle-tested CRNAs are at a distinct disadvantage without CRNA licensure in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania CRNAs cannot assist as part of emergency response teams in other states because they lack CRNA title designation in Pennsylvania, which diminishes the role our commonwealth can play in aiding states affected by hurricanes, floods or other natural disasters.

The CRNA graduates from Villanova University / CCMC Nurse Anesthesia Program are highly-qualified clinicians who are recruited across the country. CRNAs have been providing superior anesthesia care for more than 150 years and empirical evidence demonstrates there is no difference in the quality of anesthesia care when provided by CRNAs or physicians, independently, or together in a team model.

The CRNAs in Pennsylvania need title recognition and we urge you to both support S.B. 325 and urge immediate action by the House of Representatives.

Sincerely,

Donna S. Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN

Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor

Villanova University

M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing